When does home insurance not cover dog bites?
Home insurance doesn’t always cover dog bites. Make sure you understand your policy so you aren’t left uncovered in the event of an incident. Here are a few scenarios where homeowners insurance may not cover a dog bite.
Your home insurance company excludes your dog breed
Some dog breeds have a reputation for being aggressive, and your home insurance company may refuse to cover these breeds due to the perceived risk of a bite occurring. Breeds that are often excluded from coverage include pit bulls, rottweilers, Siberian huskies, and chow chows.[2] If you find that your home insurer won’t cover your dog breed, you may want to seek dog bite insurance elsewhere.
Your home insurance provider won’t cover injuries to household members
Your home insurance might not cover injuries to household members, only injuries to guests and family members who don’t belong to your household. If your dog bites your child who lives with you, you may be responsible for the medical bills and have to pay for them through your health insurance policy.
Your policy specifically excludes all dog bites
When you first purchased your home insurance, you might have agreed to exclude coverage for dog bites and other pet-related injuries. If you don’t remember, check the fine print of your home insurance. And if you’re purchasing a new policy, take the time to fully understand the extent of coverage you’ll receive should your dog bite someone.
Your dog bites someone in a business setting
If you run a dog-grooming business or another type of business out of your home, and your dog bites someone, your home insurance policy likely won’t cover it. You might have to turn to your business insurance instead.